Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-03
FISHERIES AND FLEETS.
THE SENATE PASSES THE Ma
vaI,H!IL WITH AM ENDMENTS.

The House After Long Debate Passes
the Retaliation Bill as it Came from
the eseDate-severaI II eports from Con-
fereuce Committees Adopted by the
Two Houses.
WASHINGTON, March 2.-ln the Senate
today Mr.. Whitthorue, from the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs, reported back
the Senate bill to create naval reserve
Of auxiliary cruisers, officers and men
from the mercantile marine. 1t was put
on the calendar.
The resolution offered yesterday by Mr..
Hoar authorizing the Committee on
Privileges and Elections to continues dur
ing the recess, the Texas Investigation
was adopted.
NAVAL APPROPRIATIONS.
The Senate at l O'Clock proceeded to
consideration of the naval appropriation
hill. Under the head OF increase OF the
navy" the committee recommends strik-
ing out the House provision for two swift
double-bottomed steel cruisers aud for
four gunboats. all to cost, exclusive of
aarmament. not more than $4,950, 600, and
The substitution of two new sections pro-
vidino for six steel cruisers with a speed
of not less than twenty knots to cost, eX-
elusive OF armament, not more than
70 600 900. and apprOpriating that
amount; also appropratIng for the arma-
ment OF such vessels 81, $50, 900; also ap-
propriating $6,G00,000 Tor heavily ar
mored vessels, or floating batteries, or
rams. for coast and harbor deienses;
also approprIatng S720,0O0 for light
draught guubOats; also appropriatlng
k600.O00 for torpedo boats, and $500, 900 Tor
torpedoes, and Sl,S00,000 tor the arma-
ment of those vessels.
THE BUIr. ri SITES.
Mr.. Gray questioned the policy of the
provision requiring one of the six steel
cruisers to be built on or near the coast
of the Pacific ocean and two of them on
or near the coast Of the Gulf OF Mexico.
This was only trammellng the Secretary
of the Navy and interfering with the gen.
eral object proposed. He was in favor or
the accomplishment of what the section
proposed, namely, the creation OF six
swift, available and efficient cruisers.
and, Therefore, ne moved to strike out that
provision. q,
MR.. HALE EXPLAINS.
Mr.. Hale, who has charge OF the bill,
/ stated that when the ten cruiser bill was
up some weeks ago a similar provision
had been adopted. Alter tull discussion,
On motion of the Senator from Alabama
| Mr.. Morgan), he had believed then,
and belieV, d now, that one or
TWO OF these vessels could be
built and built speedily on the Pacific
coast. The Committee on Appropria-
tons had embodied those features in this
amendment, taking a proportionate num-
Der, as the whole numoer mad been cut
down, and instead of giving two to the
Pacific coast, has given one, and instead
Ofgiving three to the Gulf of Mexico, had
given two, leaving three to the Atlantic
coast.
ADVANTAGES OF THE SOUTH.
MIR, Morgan argued the necessity OF the
government having one or more cOnstruc-
ton yards on the Gulf coast to which
war vessels might 90 for necessary re-
pairs. He believed that for 100000 a
construction yard could be established
On the Alabama river, or the Mississippi,
Or at Pensacola. as good as John Roach's
yard at Chester. If the ship builder
having contract for one or two
Oh these vessels should con-
clude to build them, for instance,
at Mount Vernon, Ala, he would find
lhere iron. c. / and timber. There was
20 place IN the United States where these
lnree great elements of the cost and C9n-
sGucton OF ships could be assembled
cneaper than at the MountVernOn arsenal.
eucn contraclot would then be pre-
pared to build ships Of commerce or war
snlps there and TO repair ships. lie
thought 1t only fair and right that the
Feopie OF the Cult States should have an
opportunity to embark in that business,
ana IL was for the purpose of securing
'ndt opportunity that he had proposed 10
ave contracts so given out that snip
ouHuers might have vessels built on the
uuIf coast.
MR.. BECK FAvoRs IT.
MI Beck said that no one would accuse
nl m Vi having any prOtectionist tenden-
nnes' anu yet he favored the proposition.
ne oelleVed that with the developments
sOIng on In that section bids for two of
u,se vessels would come from the South.
nr. "hltthorne said he would vote for
ue amendment as submitted by the COM
MY. mn.ee, ana especially did he favor that
yaIt oil 1t criticised by the Senator from
os3itsNare Mr.. Gray).
MI, m.' MaXey favored the amendment re-
r;U lieu oy the committee. He said that
bo'o an an oVernowlng treasury, with no
EEge ol reduction of taxation, with an
osouIe SoaIe necessity to empty the over
mase treasury vaults and to put the
Wa. ! y: mere into circulation, there never
n,oy'll auu never would be better time for
lharo % - i"N iOI lhe CotlluO USIeuSe
tav,e sra Saould be at least one great navy
Ss tes. 81. aollshed on the Gulf coast, where
savoI Yese IRON, steel, live oak and long,
"'eu pine were at hand.
PLEA FOR PEACE.
hjs, .lair blair spoke of the TACT that the
Fso - uoufden which mankind had to bear
be- n,jH oie result OF tendency to war. II
be alennlum was not an absolute myth
Eorld dH,netlcan nation might set to the
NIL W. ". Ihe l!rst time in history an ex.
e.woo, eW an effort to settle controversies
str,a. veu nations without resort to the
hcreSo,a hSvn'e art OF butchery. 1t was,
hst azure, with great reluctance
che ne voted for bills calling
OntemnI.hous tol nous expenditures purely IN
elleyobT allon OF future conflicts. He
Aopgeu tlat this nation was great
|OssiSn,aehd |OsiIIn ana strong enough to defy the
the 6ty WY, OF any conflict by appealing
ruslngo nmo[las tI sense of justice; and that,
(srfaTss rom this day forth to engage in
|uicb ;, principle might be Initiated.
kace wo,,tsuld ~ ~ would not produce absolute
ans iroro "uu'd result in the elimination of
tho hini among civilized nations. While
|ne .o ro,S subject he would make use OF
|Otbas asnlarks which he had prepared for